A Life-giving Drug?

Remdesivir - a drug that holds hope against the scourge of the novel corona virus.

Network Issues in iPad Pro

For those who cannot make do without their iPad Pro devices, a sudden drop in speeds while downloading from App store can be a major irritant.

The solution for this malady is actually straightforward in many cases. Reset the network and uninstall any proxy app. Reboot your iPad and one is good to go.

Still, if one is reluctant to let go of the benefits that VPN offers, one need only to try 1.1.1.1 public DNS resolver from Cloudfare. Even under sedate network conditions, download speeds through 1.1.1.1's public DNS service can serve to lower frustration levels of the impatient. Reboot your iPad device as always after installing / uninstalling any VPN app.

Trending Words and Articles in the wake of Corona virus pandemic

These are the list of the top trending words and articles that are being bandied about with consummate ease (almost every English daily or news channel regardless of national affiliation), in the wake of Corona virus (COVID-19) global pandemic.

Incidentally, the word "trending" describes an event that begins to deviate from the normal.

1. Pandemic
2. Epidemiology
3. Chinese wet market
4. Morbidity
5. Comorbidity
6. Home schooling
7. Virus's (singular possessive form of virus)

History: Coronavirus
June Almeida, in 1964, was the first to discover and identify corona virus (or coronavirus) as most would prefer online or on print media. She developed microscopic identification techniques that enabled her and her fellow scientists at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Ontario, Canada to use electron microscopes which helped detect corona viruses. She and her fellow scientists saw how "viral spike peplomers emanating from each proteinaceous envelope" formed a corona (or halo) around each virion, June Almeida was born June Hart. She had no formal education. She was the daughter of a bus driver in Glasgow Scotland. After marrying Enriques Almeida, a Venezuelan artist, the couple emigrated to Canada.

Philosophizing

Work calls. And I shall have to finish my tasks. For what we do in modernity, echoes in eternity.

Quickly Find Out Blank Cells within a Column

The headline is misleading or is incomplete at best. I agree. You will, too, after you have gone through this post. As bland as it may seem at first, you might find this a tad interesting for the application it was designed and intended to perform. 

Microsoft Excel VBA macro programming is a powerful way to experience how data can be manipulated and viewed.

I was given this assignment to find out number of blank cells between two non-blank cells within a range in a spreadsheet. For example, if A1 was a non-blank cell and A4 was the same, too, then B1 should have a display of 2 to indicate that there are two cells that are blank in between. 

Following is the full extract of the macro that I wrote to accomplish the task at hand. In case you need help, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.


Function CheckBlanks(CheckRange As Range)
'Created: Satadru Sengupta.
'Dated: 18-12-2019
    Evaluate "CheckBlanksSub(" & CheckRange.Address(False, False) & ")"
    CheckBlanks = "Difference of blanks created"
    MsgBox ("Range difference created. You may delete the formula / user-defined function used.")
End Function
Private Sub CheckBlanksSub(CheckRange As Range)

        Dim getRowNum As Integer
        Dim getColNum As Integer
        
        Dim initiatePointRow As Integer
        Dim endPointRow As Integer
        Dim differenceRows As Integer
        
        getRowNum = CheckRange.Row
        getColNum = CheckRange.Column


         initiatePointRow = 1
         differenceRows = 0
        
         initiatePointRow = getRowNum
         endPointRow = initiatePointRow
         
         For row1 = 2 To CheckRange.Columns(1).Cells.Count
         
         If CheckRange.Cells(row1, 1).Value = "" Then
            differenceRows = differenceRows + 1
         Else
            ActiveSheet.Cells(endPointRow, getColNum + 1).Value = differenceRows
            endPointRow = getRowNum + row1 - 1
           
            differenceRows = 0
         End If
         
    
         Next
            
     
End Sub

Pithy Saying

At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world.

Charles Darwin

Secularism and Citizenship

It is a sad state to see that we are quickly going the way of losing our secular identity. Fundamentalists and extremists seem to be rampant on either religious denominations. I pray to the Almighty the Omniscient the Munificent that may peace and harmony prevail forever in the land that gave birth to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Mahatma, our national pride and the Late President Abul Pakir Jainalubdin Abdul Kalam, Mohammed Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, and many more who shall forever remain etched in the fabric of our nation's great history and proud heritage.

My heart grows sad for no one should feel alienated or segregated. Ghettoisation is neither wanted nor should be tolerated. Jingoism and playing to the crowd are what our nation does not ever require. What our country needs is to eradicate corruption, sectarian violence, ensure that its citizens are protected at night and in remote corners of the country at all times. Our country needs our children to grow strong, healthy and prosperous. Religion is what we turn to to keep our society from plunging into depravity and moral turpitude. Religion is not and should never be a rod to stir up issues for the sake of political mileage and economic benefit for a select few.

It is said that quotes by the Mahatma are the most frequently quoted ones on the Internet. What, therefore, could be better than using one made famous by his views on Truth and Nonviolence - "It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business."